[Gllug] Piracy.

[Pete Ryland]

On Tue, Mar 04, 2003 at 06:15:09PM +0000, Dylan wrote:
> On Tuesday 04 March 2003 13:51, Rev Simon Rumble wrote:
> > On Tue 04 Mar, Pankaj Mathur bloviated thus:
> > > Well it is not exactly stealing as you've amply proved with your example
> > > but it is still unethical behaviour. Demonstrating mere misfit with
> > > definition of "stealing" does not really justify such actions which can
> > > hurt OSS developers as well.
> >
> > The Coke analogy is actually different in other ways too.  Coke are in
> > the business of selling overpriced sugary drinks, which have input
> > costs.  These input costs are not impacted if I were to "copy" the
> > Coke with my own raw materials.
> >
> > The key difference here is that software is based on an artificial
> > scarcity.  You, theoretically, don't have access to the product unless
> > you buy it, but the duplication costs are negligable.  So essentially
> > the "crime" being committed only because our society has decided to
> > allow a business model to be built on an artificial scarcity.
> 
> The crime is theft because under law, copyright IS property, and technically 
> it is not the software, picture, movie, whatever which is stolen but the 
> right to control copying... hence 'copy-right'.

*sigh* No it's not.  There is no such thing in law as "intellectual
property".  Not here, not in the US, not anywhere AFAIK.  It is a made up
term.  Copyright laws are different to patent laws are different to
trademark laws are very different to property laws.

Pete
-- 
Pete Ryland
http://pdr.cx/

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